Chanterelles in Michigan’s North Woods

Move Over, Morel: Come early autumn, the delicately delicious chanterelle mushroom is in season Up North. Two varieties worth the search are the golden chanterelle, which unfurls its yolk-colored cap in hardwood and pine forests, and the yellowish chanterelle, which peeps up among the sphagnum moss in wetlands. Rookies, forage with caution: the Jack o’ lantern, a stomachache-inducing ’shroom, is a chanterelle look-alike. To avoid confusion, know that chanterelles grow in scattered clusters, not tight clumps; their gills are blunt edged, not sharp; and they only grow in soil, not on stumps or roots.

Tasty Treasure: Chanterelles have a fruity, slightly spicy flavor that is heavenly when sautéed with butter or cream. Cook fresh or store them—dried, frozen or brined—for that from-the-wild kick in earthy fall dishes.

MyNorth.com is the online home of Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine, the flagship publication of MyNorth Media, a Traverse City, Michigan company dedicated to sharing stories and photos about vacations, restaurants, wineries, the outdoors and more from Traverse City to Sleeping Bear Dunes and up to Mackinac Island.